


A Touch of Poison

by vixensheart



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Kissing, Lance gets poisoned, Poison, Sickfic, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 14:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14137533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixensheart/pseuds/vixensheart
Summary: In an assassination attempt gone wrong, Lance ends up poisoned. With only one lead and mounting desperation, Allura takes him on a joyride across the universe in search of a cure. Only the gods of the stars above can help them now...





	A Touch of Poison

 

##  **“With a kiss let us set out for an unknown world.”-Alfred de Musset**

**~#~#~#~**

Lance glared at nothing, letting out a huff. **  
**

They were in attendance of some ball, hosted by Emperor Lotor himself. It was supposed to be a coalition bonding thing, to help ease the Galra into being accepted as a part of the coalition and its efforts to spread peace. Lotor had invited the paladins, of course, as they were the glue to the whole operation, or whatever.

Which was fine. He was used to attending parties at this point; ever since the fall of Zarkon, there’d been a lot of parties thrown by various members of the coalition. They’d all been a lot of fun too; music, food, and dancing were always a good time in Lance’s book. Of course, those times also involved dancing with Allura, which was the highlight of the night, in each case.

This time, though, Allura was busy introducing Lotor to every notable member of the coalition. He sort of felt sorry for Lotor; there were a lot of coalition members, and a lot of names to remember. Plus, not everyone was thrilled about his presence, something Allura was stressed about.

Still, Lance couldn’t help but feel a little bitter that he couldn’t enjoy the night with his girlfriend. His gaze slipped to her; she was like a magnet, always drawing him to her. A wistful sigh breezed past his lips as he stared openly. She looked beautiful, as always. Her silver mane was coiled delicately at the base of her neck; his work, of course. It was a tradition they shared before these formal events, one Lance loved dearly. Her hair was just so lovely, like thick ribbons of silk.

“Earth to Lance!”

Hunk’s hand entered his line of vision, and Lance rolled his eyes. “What, buddie?”

“You just gonna stare at the princess all night?” he teased, sipping at whatever bubbly was in his hands. Lance felt his face flush, and he pouted.

“No.”

Hunk chuckled. “Relax, man. She’ll be done soon, and you can continue being love-sick puppies together.”

Pidge made an exaggerated gagging sound from beside Hunk, making Lance’s face burn even hotter.

“Ugh, you guys suck,” he whined. He glared at his plate, wishing dinner would start so Allura could sit with him and Hunk and Pidge would just  _shut up_. He barely registered a waiter drifting by and setting down another pair of drinks.

“Ugh, I hope this isn’t any of that Nunville stuff,” Hunk said. Lance heard Pidge snort.

“Yeah, that stuff is a better fire starter than a drink.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “I doubt it’s Nunville; that’s an Altean drink, anyway.”

“So?” Pidge said. “Lotor is part Altean. Plus, he really loves Altean stuff, remember?”

This was true. Lotor had an affinity towards his Altean identity, going so far as to try to imbue forgotten parts of Altean culture into the Galran Empire. It was as brave as it was nice, and Lance knew both Allura and Coran appreciated his efforts. Of course, a lot of the Galra did not, and there were murmurs of rebellion within the empire, among other things.

Lance eyed the glasses beside him. The one closest to him, his he supposed, was just a boring glass like everyone else’s. The other, presumably Allura’s, was a fancy thing, trimmed in gold and resembling a chalice. There were a couple of fancy glasses scattered about the table; reserved for those of high authority, he assumed. Still, Lance took a bit of a fancy for the nice glass. What could he say, it looked cool.

Besides, it wasn’t as though Allura would mind if he drank some; like an indirect kiss of sorts. So, he nabbed the glass and took a nice swig.

“Uh, Lance, isn’t that Allura’s?”

He shot Hunk a look. “Yeah. So? We kiss each other. It’s not like she’ll care. Besides, I like the fancy cup.”

Hunk rolled his eyes and shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy, man.”

Lance sipped some more at Allura’s drink. It was fizzy and sweet, and rather addicting.  _Meh,_ he thought, _Allura can just have my drink. She won’t care…_

**~#~#~#~**

The room was spinning. Why was the room spinning?

Lance squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back against the couch. Somehow he  _still_  felt like he was spinning, and it was wreaking havoc with his stomach. He ran a hand over his face, smearing beads of sweat across his forehead as a result.

He felt like shit.

Lance wondered if he should just lay down. Take a nap on the couch. That would probably help, right? He suppressed a shiver.

Yeah, a nap sounded like a great plan. Lance slowly slid onto his side, curling up into a shivering ball. He buried his face into the crook of the couch, shielding his eyes from the headache inducing light, and tried to relax. Everything still seemed off kilter, but it was less dizzying than before.

This could work. Maybe if he just…didn’t move ever again he’d feel a little bit better.

“Coalition meeting starts in ten minutes, everybody to the bridge!”

Coran’s voice echoed through the castle, making Lance cringe. Well, so much for taking a nap. He forced himself upright, blinking as he was hit by a dizzy spell.

That wasn’t good.

Somehow, Lance managed to drag himself to his feet and stumbled to the hallway. Everything around him bucked and swayed, and Lance idly wondered if he’d make it to the bridge. His mouth watered and his stomach rolled, and for a moment he thought he’d lose his lunch.

 _What is wrong with me?_  he thought. Lance was pretty sure this wasn’t normal; he was literally fine an hour ago. With his head spinning, he managed to stumble onto the bridge.

“Lance?”

Allura’s voice echoed in his ears. He tried to grin, but it was rather difficult to focus. “Hey, ‘Lura.” His own voice sounded distant, and Lance felt himself teeter in place. Another shiver wracked his body, and he hugged his arms about himself.

“Lance, are you okay?” Allura was at his side now, reaching for him. He tried to avoid her grasp-of  _course_  he was okay, why  _wouldn’t_  he be-but he misstepped and crashed to the floor. The room swirled, and Lance saw stars as he blinked.  _Well, shit._

Warm hands clasped his shoulders, and Allura’s face came into view. “Lance?”

He blinked, his head swimming. His forehead felt clammy, and Lance felt his stomach twist. “I think I’m gonna throw up,” he croaked, before turning away and hurling onto the floor. Lance let himself flop into Allura’s arms and whimpered. He could feel her cool hands brush against his forehead, and he leaned into her touch.

“You’re burning up,” she murmured. Lance couldn’t manage a response; he felt heavy, as though his limbs and head weighed hundreds of tonnes, and moving was just far too much effort. Everything around him started to feel fuzzy; images were just smudges of color against the backdrop of the bridge, and Allura’s voice sounded far away, like she was at the end of a tunnel, calling out to him. And oh, god, was he tired.

So tired.

_“What happened? He was fine earlier.”_

_“I don’t know, Pidge, but he’s burning up.”_

_“We should take him to the infirmary; we can use load him in a cryopod and see what it comes up with on the scanners.”_

_“Good idea, Coran. Here, Allura, I can take him.”_

_“No! I’ve got him.”_

Allura cradled him delicately, and Lance hid his face in the crook of her neck. He felt warm and safe, and  _tired_. Darkness seeped into the corners of his subconscious, luring him in with promises of rest. He found himself slipping into the dark, embracing it.

**~#~#~#~**

“It appears that there’s…some sort of poison in his blood.”

Allura’s heart twisted. “Poison?” she echoed. “What type of poison?” She stood in front of Lance’s cryopod, her gaze riveted to the ill boy as he slumbered. His sleep was fitful; she could see him twitch and tremble, his body doing its best to fight its sudden ailment. Coran heaved a sigh from behind her.

“I…I don’t know. It’s not coming up in any of the Castle’s systems.” His voice was wrung with worry that matched her own. They were all worried.

Allura reached out at touched the smooth glass of the cryopod, her breath sticking in her throat. “There must be  _something_  we can do,” she murmured.

Coran shrugged helplessly. “Pidge is looking across the coalition’s database, to see if there’s any intel somewhere. And I believe everyone else is looking into possible leads.” He draped a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. “Perhaps you should get some rest, princess.”

She shrugged him away, shaking her head. “No, no, I’ll stay here.” The thought of leaving him, even for a second, was too much. Coran seemed to understand, for he let her be, only murmuring for her to call should she need him. Allura nodded her thanks, her focus remaining on Lance.

Lance.

Allura pressed her forehead against the glass, squeezing her eyes shut. Warm tears dripped down her cheeks, slipping across her skin and leaving behind a trail of wet. Part of half expected Lance to gather her in his arms and kiss her tears away, as he always did. But he didn’t and Allura’s chest hurt at the realization.

This was real. There was no waking up from this.

She looked through the glass with half lidded eyes, ignoring the fog her breath created. Lance slept his induced sleep restlessly, the cryopod’s healing nature doing nothing to ease his suffering. Allura turned so her back was leaning against the pod, and slid to the floor. She tucked her knees under her chin and hugged them with her arms.

“Oh, Lance,” she murmured. “What are we gonna do?”

Her question went unanswered, and Allura’s mind drifted. A tangled mess of thoughts twisted in the forefront of her mind. Images of Lance stiff and cold, settled on a funeral pyre. Murmurs of past events; his hand in hers, the whisper of his lips on her skin. The patter of little feet and what could have been.

Allura forced the thoughts away. There was still hope; there  _had_  to be. Their story couldn’t end here. Not like this.

“Allura?”

Pidge’s voice startled her, and she jerked her head up and blinked. “Oh, Pidge. What is it?” Her voice came out fractured and rough, making Allura wince. There was a brief flash of pity in Pidge’s eyes; fleeting, and gone in an instant. She shifted the laptop in her arms, tiptoeing close. It was as though Pidge was fearful of awakening Lance, or scaring her off.

“Where’s Coran?”

Allura frowned. “I’m…not sure. Why?”

Pidge hesitated. Her gaze flickered to Lance, and her face set with a look of steel. She strode to Allura’s side and plopped down beside her, practically shoving the laptop into Allura’s lap. “Here.”

It took a moment for Allura to balance the laptop and get a good look at the screen. She blinked, her brows furrowing as she tried to process what she saw. Scrawling code filled the screen, letters and numbers so tightly packed Allura could hardly make head or tail of it. “What is this?” she asked. Pidge huffed.

“I’ve been cross-checking the molecular formula of the poison with the coalition’s extended database. And I got a hit; there’s a planet towards the inner ring that has something matching it in their logs.” Pidge pushed at her glasses. “It’s in like, one journal entry, and it’s not a lot, but…” she trailed off. Allura glanced back at the screen, her brows furrowing.

“What planet is this?”

Pidge frowned, shrugging. “I dunno, but I can send the coordinates to your lion.” She met Allura’s gaze, that steely determination shimmering in her hazel colored eyes. If there was one thing Allura could admire about Pidge, it was her undying loyalty. Once earned, it would never waver.

She thrust the laptop back into Pidge’s grasp and rose to her feet. The lead was small. Insufficient, really. But it was all they had. Allura turned on her heel and slapped her hand against the cryopod’s control panel. There was a hiss as the door opened, and Pidge let out a yelp. “Allura, what are you doing?”

Allura caught Lance in her arms, holding him gingerly. She spared Pidge a glance. “I’m bringing him with me.”

“You can’t just-”

“The cryopod isn’t helping him,” Allura snapped. “It can’t stop the poison. It can’t slow it.” Her body trembled, and she bit her lip. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. Allura took a breath. “We don’t have much time. If there’s anything out there that can help him, then he needs to be with me to get it. If not…” She trailed off, unable to finish. Pidge remained silent, her gaze unreadable behind her wide rimmed glasses. The smaller girl dipped her head, her shoulders sagging in defeat. 

“Okay,” Pidge said, “just…take care of him.”

They shared one last look, and Allura managed a smile. “Thank you.”

Pidge shrugged, appearing suddenly bashful. “If you go now, I can cover for you.”

Allura dipped her head in a nod. She cradled Lance bridal style, and hurried off to Blue’s hangar.

**~#~#~#~**

“Princess? What are you doing?” Shiro’s voice, angry and baffled, crackled over the comms. Allura grit her teeth and tightened her hold on the controls. Her gaze slid over her shoulder, to the floor where Lance lay. He twitched and muttered incoherently, the emergency blanket sliding down his shoulder.

“Allura!”

She gunned it, pushing Blue to her limits. “Pidge found something,” she said, breathless. “She sent me the coordinates.”

“Princess, wait.” It was Coran, this time. “Don’t you think this is a little rash? We should look into this more!”

Allura scowled. “Lance doesn’t have time!”

The comms went silent. Allura let out a shuddering breath. She loosened her deathgrip on Blue and tried to breathe. To focus. A small whimper echoed from behind her, and Allura tossed a glance over her shoulder. Lance had tossed away his blanket, and she could see the sheen of sweat glistening on his skin in the cool light of Blue’s cockpit.

“I’m going,” she said. “This is our one chance…” Allura trailed off, the words sticking in her throat. Blue’s warmth bubbled up at the edges of her consciousness, comforting her. But Allura could feel her worry and sorrow all the same. It mingled with hers, ebbing in her mind like water on a beach.

“Okay,” Shiro said. “Okay. Just…stay safe. It uh, looks like Keith is in that branch of the galaxy. I’ll have him meet you guys there.”

“Thank you.”

Once again, Allura was alone. She eased her hold on the controls and slumped back into her seat, suddenly tired. Her hands felt cramped and her mind numb, and Allura once again wished things were  _normal_.

Blue rubbed against the edges of her mind. A sense of calm pooled within her, and Allura breathed a sigh. She felt Blue’s desire to run on autopilot, and left the seat to check on Lance. He was curled in a ball in the corner, his hair matted with sweat and his skin as pale as paper. She ran her hands soothingly through his hair and tucked the blanket securely around him. “Don’t worry, Lance,” she murmured, “we’re going to fix this.”

Her words felt hollow, and Allura prayed to the gods of the universe that she’d be right.

**~#~#~#~**

The planet’s name was some bizarre phrase Allura couldn’t even hope to pronounce. It was off at the edges of their current galaxy; a jagged chunk of rock, spinning through the universe. Nothing much seemed to grow here, so the planet’s inhabitants were reliant on trade with nearby planets.

In fact, the surface was uninhabited. The natives had carved out the planet, creating cities of stone safely tucked away from the raging sand and gravel storms.

Twinkling lanterns reflected off the stone walls. The air was musty and damp, and Allura idly wondered if it was good for Lance to be down here. But then he trembled and buried his face in the crook of her neck, rambling incoherently. Worry spiked in her chest, and she chewed her lip.

Saving Lance was priority one.

“How’s he holding up?”

Keith’s voice made her start, and she tightened her grip on Lance. “Okay, I think,” she murmured. He hadn’t awaken since he’d passed out, but his temperature seemed stable, if high. Occasionally he babbled and murmured feverish things, things Allura couldn’t understand. It was as though he was trapped within his poisoned mind, trying and failing to escape.

“You want me to carry him for awhile?”

Allura shook her head. “We should be getting close.”

It was true. Allura faintly remembered being here, once. It was thousands of years ago, when she was just a young girl, learning about diplomacy. She’d accompanied her father to this planet, and had spent countless hours exploring the capitol, where they were heading now.

What a different life, it had been.

The little tunnel opened out into an expansive cavern, with lanterns strung up along the walls. Overhead, hanging from the stalagmites, hung more lights, shimmering overhead like makeshift stars. Stone buildings reared up from the floor, and the sounds of laughter, children, and music echoed throughout the space.

“Welcome, Princess,” their guide said. They flicked their massive tail, shuffling towards the city’s center. “This way.”

The natives of this world were what the paladins called, ‘reptilian’, in appearance. Rough, bumpy skin, protrusions on their shoulders and back, and of course, the tail. Keith had seemed a bit put off at first glance, and even now, stuck close to her side. She supposed Lance’s precarious position didn’t help ease his worry. Allura’s gaze slid to him. His expression was set with one of determination, those deep, violet eyes glittering in the low light. She could feel his shoulder brushing against hers; a quiet touch of support and reassurance.

They followed a well beaten path through a few stone hewed alleyways, their feet scuffing against the reddish rock. Yellow eyes peered curiously at them from within stone houses, but Allura elected to ignore them. Her whole body felt rigid, and her face set in what she imagined could only be a grim expression.

It was hard to not feel grim, after all.

Their guide led them to what Allura imagined was their capital. It was a larger building than the rest, towering so high that it almost reached up into the starry stalagmites. They were ushered inside, where Allura could gratefully lay Lance down onto a nearby bench. He whined, his eyes blinking open. They were glassy with fever; unfocused and tired. “‘Lura?” he slurred. She brushed at his matted bangs and kissed his forehead, her chest tight.

“It’s okay, Lance,” Allura murmured, “we’re getting you help.”

His eyes flickered shut and he sighed, slipping back into his fevered sleep.

“I’ll watch him,” Keith said. Allura dipped her head in a nod, sparing one last glance at Lance. This was it. There was either a cure, or failure. Allura almost couldn’t breathe. She stepped towards their guide as though in a trance, feeling as though the dams of her soul were about to break.

“Princess, this way.”

They twisted and turned through a variety of hallways; all of which looked the same. Aside from what Allura thought to be decorations, she wouldn’t have the faintest idea of which hallway was which. They stopped at what seemed to be a doorway, and her guide gestured for her to go inside.

It was an office, of some sort. Another native sat with some rather archaic technology, peering at the screens and fiddling with what Allura guessed was a control pad. They looked up when she entered, their expression neutral.

“This is the Princess of Altea,” her guide said. “She has come on what she claims is an urgent matter.”

Allura stepped forward. “My boyfriend and teammate was poisoned.” She pulled up the hologram of the molecular formula on her armor, showing them. “We cannot seem to trace it anywhere, aside from here.”

The native peered at the hologram for a moment, before muttering under their breath and shuffling about the office. They pulled a few stone tablets, glancing at them, before settling on one and shuffling up to her.

“This formula is the makeup of a compound secreted by an Altean flower. The oil was supposed to be pleasant in odor, so some of our businesses slated an order for them.”

Allura stared. “That’s…that can’t possibly be right.”

The native shrugged. “I do not know what else to say, Princess. That it what the order was.” They returned to their desk work without another glance. Allura teetered in place. Everything tilted, and she felt the last ounce of hope shatter into a million pieces around her.

No.

 _No_.

Allura stumbled backwards, pushing past her guide. She leaned heavily against the wall, the rough stone rasping against her palms. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, and a shuddering gasp tore from her chest. It couldn’t end like this; it wasn’t fair.

_No, no, **no!**_

She ignored the cries of her guide, instead pushing away from the wall and running. The odd decor guided her through the twisting hallways, back to her Lance. She didn’t stop until she was stumbling into the foyer, Lance and Keith in sight.

Allura fell to her knees. She raised shaking hands, brushing at Lance’s fiery cheeks as though she’d break him. She very well could; he was fragile now. Allura rested her forehead on his, sobs wracking her body. “Oh, Lance,” she gasped. Keith’s gaze burned into her, but he said nothing, instead letting her run her hands through Lance’s hair as she cried.

The sick boy stirred under her touch, his eyelashes brushing her cheek as he blinked. “Allura?” he said, his voice hoarse. Allura pulled back, managing a smile.

“Yes, Lance?”

He was pale and weak, and trembling like a leaf, but Lance still managed to reach up and brush her wet cheeks. “What’s…wrong?”

She shook her head. “Not a thing. I just…I love you, Lance.” At this, he smiled.

“Love you too.”

Allura couldn’t help it; she kissed him. Hard. Despite being half delirious, Lance kissed her back. His lips were dry and hot, and Allura could taste the salt of her tears. But it didn’t matter. None of that mattered; it was the feeling igniting in her heart and emulated by his touch that mattered the most.

She loved him, universe be damned. He was the one bright spot in an otherwise hellish world, and the universe was determined to tear him away. Allura wanted to scream. She wanted to curse the universe until her lips were blue. She wanted to punch something, cry into her pillow, and forget this ever happened. But none of those things would save Lance. None of those things would change the reality they now faced; Lance was dying.

Allura pulled away. Lance smiled a goofy, fever-induced smile. He sighed, contented, his eyes drifting closed. Allura bit her lip. She could feel the tears dripping down her face and off of her chin, but she made no move to wipe them away. Instead, she buried her face into the crook of Lance’s neck, letting the tears flow. She felt Keith’s warm hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

They stayed there, like that, enjoying what time they had left.

**~#~#~#~**

Lance was dreaming. He was flying through the sky on the back of a lioness the color of the ocean. She rumbled beneath him, content, dipping and weaving around the clouds. It was exhilarating.  Lance whooped and hollered and sang, the buzz of adrenaline making him feel alive.

The lioness’s muscles rippled under him, and suddenly they were catapulting upwards, into a thick cloud. Lance yelped, shielding his face from the thousands of raindrops that splattered onto his skin. With a roar, they broke free, the sun momentarily blinding him.

“Lance?”

Lance blinked. An angel, with hair like silver, reached out for him. His breath died in his throat. She was utterly beautiful; rich, dark skin, with glittering, cerulean eyes. She reached out and touched him, tingles running through him. “Lance…”

Suddenly, the angel was real. They were alone in a corridor; it was late. Warm lips pressed onto his own, making Lance gasp.

“Goodnight, Lance.”

“Allura,” he breathed. She smiled, cradling his cheek in her hand.

“Sleep, my love,” she whispered. The hallway melted away, and Lance felt himself drifting.

**_“Sleep…”_ **

**~#~#~#~**

_“He’s waking up…”_

_“Shh, Pidge, let him sleep.”_

_“But he’s been sleeping for three days!”_

Lance groaned. Ugh. His head was pounding. He blinked, groaning at the light assaulting his eyeballs.

“Lance!”

The sound of Allura’s voice had him stirring. He squinted, her beaming smile coming into view. “Hey, ‘Lura,” he rasped. She lurched towards him, squeezing him into a hug.

“Oh, Lance, I’m so glad you’re awake. You had us all worried!” She pulled back, her lips drawn into a frown. “You had  _me_  worried,” she murmured. Lance grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry,” he said. “Uh, what happened, anyway?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“You were poisoned,” Pidge said. She sat across the room, her laptop reflecting off of her glasses. “We think someone slipped poison in your drink at the banquet. You almost died.”

His jaw dropped. “Wait. Really?”

Allura nodded. “Yes. I thought…we almost didn’t find a cure.”

“Yeah, you can thank your girlfriend on that one,” Pidge said. “It turns out Alteans have some kind of enzyme in their spit that can break down the poison.”

Lance’s mouth dropped open.  _Did that mean…?_  “Wait…what?” He turned to Allura, who was blushing profusely. It was rather adorable, and he couldn’t help but smile. “So, you kissed me like I was some sort of Disney princess, and saved me? Damn, that’s awesome.”

Allura blinked. “Disney princess? Is that a country on your planet?”

He attempted to laugh, but that dissolved into a coughing fit. Damn, he needed some water. “I’ll explain it later,” he wheezed. Allura hummed and pressed a kiss to his temple.

“So, how do you feel?”

Lance shrugged. “Nothing some cuddles can’t fix.”

At this, Allura obliged, wriggling under the covers, and earning them both an exasperated groan from Pidge. 

Lance snuggled against Allura and smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, this was a ride. So this story idea totally came about thanks to mandolinearts and aquariusdelamar on tumblr brainstorming ridiculous ideas for a story I wanted to write. Somehow, this was born. XD So a special thanks to those two for this! <3 Thanks for the support, guys! 
> 
> -Kat


End file.
